Tailoring Mechanical Properties of Aerogels for Aerospace Applications

Randall, Jason P.; Meador, Mary Ann B.; Jana, Sadhan C.

doi:10.1021/am200007n

Cited by 516 publications

(352 citation statements)

References 87 publications

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“…In fact, across the whole range of total Si concentration (densities ranging from 0.1 to 0.23 g/cm 3 and modulus as high as 10 MPa), the monoliths prepared using these conditions recover nearly their full length after deformation to 25% strain. Similar modulus and recovery after compression is obtained in epoxy reinforced aerogels using ethyl-linked or octyl-linked bis-silanes in place of BTMSH [36].…”

Section: Epoxy-reinforced Aerogels From Ethanol Solventsupporting

confidence: 67%

Improving Elastic Properties of Polymer-Reinforced Aerogels

Meador

2011

Aerogels Handbook

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Monolithic aerogels provide superior thermal insulation compared to other forms of aerogel (composites, particulate, etc.). It has also been demonstrated that monolithic aerogels can be made mechanically stronger and more durable by incorporating a conformal polymer coating on the skeletal nanostructure. However, for many applications it would be most desirable to have monolithic aerogels in a more flexible form, for example, as insulation in deployable and inflatable structures or space suits, or to wrap around a structure needing insulation. To this end, it has been found that by incorporating organic linking groups or alkyl trialkoxysilanes into the silica backbone, elastic recovery and/or flexibility is improved, while strength is maintained by the use of polymer reinforcement. IntroductionDue to their combination of low density, high porosity, high surface area, and nanoscale pore sizes, silica aerogels are of interest for many applications including thermal and acoustic insulation, optics, catalysis, and chromatographic systems [1-3] (Chap. 2). However, potential applications of aerogel monoliths in aerospace, industry, and daily life have been restricted due to their poor mechanical properties and their extreme fragility [4]. Hence, in aerospace, especially (Chaps. 32 and 33), aerogel monoliths have been limited to a few exotic applications such as collecting hypervelocity particles from the tail of the comet Wild 2 in the Stardust Program [5] and as thermal insulation on the Mars Rover [6].It has been shown that reinforcing silica aerogels by reacting polymer with the silanol surface to create a conformal coating over the silica skeleton is an effective way to increase mechanical strength by as much as two orders of magnitude while only doubling the density over those of native or nonreinforced aerogels [7][8][9] (Chap. 13). In addition, the mesoporosity of these polymer-reinforced aerogels, and hence, their superior insulation properties among other things, is maintained. Incorporating an amine onto the surface of the silica gel particles by coreacting the tetraalkoxysilane with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), as shown in Scheme 15.1, allows for reinforcement with epoxy-terminated oligomers [10,11] or cyanoacrylates [12] and also improves the reactivity of the silica surface toward

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Section: Epoxy-reinforced Aerogels From Ethanol Solventsupporting

confidence: 67%

Improving Elastic Properties of Polymer-Reinforced Aerogels

Meador

2011

Aerogels Handbook

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“…While their strength is superior to silica aerogels, their elasticity and flexibility properties are yet to be tailored for advanced aerospace applications such as structural components and thermal protection for small satellites, spacecraft, planetary vehicles, and habitats. Several cross-linking schemes to mechanically reinforce aerogels have been discussed in details in [100]. It is noteworthy to state that polymer reinforcement decreases the surface area of the silica aerogel by about half without altering the thermal conductivity radically [100].…”

Section: Mechanical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several cross-linking schemes to mechanically reinforce aerogels have been discussed in details in [100]. It is noteworthy to state that polymer reinforcement decreases the surface area of the silica aerogel by about half without altering the thermal conductivity radically [100].…”

Section: Mechanical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flexible and Transparent Silica Aerogels: An Overview

Parale¹,

Lee²,

Park³

2017

J. Korean Ceram. Soc

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Aerogels are highly porous structures prepared via a sol-gel process and supercritical drying technology. Among the classes of aerogels, silica aerogel exhibits the most remarkable physical properties, possessing lower density, thermal conductivity, refractive index, and dielectric constant than any solids. Its acoustical property is such that it can absorb the sound waves reducing speed to 100 m/s compared to 332 m/s for air. However, when it comes to commercialization, the result is not as expected. It seems that mass production, particularly in the aerospace industry, has dawdled behind. This paper highlights the evolution of aerogels in general and discusses the functions and significances of silica aerogel in previous astronautical applications. Future outer-space applications have been proposed as per the current research trend. Finally, the implementation of conventional silica aerogel in aeronautics is argued with an alternative known as Maerogel.

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“…2 ) [ 7 ]. Different synthetic strategies have therefore been developed to improve the mechanical performance of aerogels, such as using fl exible silica precursors in the silica gel backbone [ 8 ], conformal coating of silica backbone via surface cross-linking with polymers [ 9 ], and dispersing reinforced fi bers into the initial sol of aerogels [ 10 ]. The reinforced aerogels may have some extended applications due to their newly empowered structural and functional properties.…”

Section: Synthesis Of Aerogelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silica Aerogels: A Multifunctional Building Material

Gao

Jelle

2015

Nanotechnology in Construction

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Silica aerogels are a nanoporous material with extremely high porosity (up to ~99.8 %), low density (as low as ~0.005 g/cm 3 ), and low thermal conductivity (~0.010-0.020 W/(mK)). Aerogels can also be made with a translucent or transparent state. These structural and functional features make aerogels a multifunctional material for many important applications. In this work, we discuss the perspective of aerogels as super insulation materials and window glazings in the building and construction sector. It shows that different research and development (R&D) strategies of aerogels shall be considered when aiming for different applications; reducing the manufacture cost, improving the service durability, and minimizing the environmental impacts of aerogels are important factors to be addressed. We show also the R&D potentials of developing aerogel-like materials with improved structural or functional performance for building related applications.

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Tailoring Mechanical Properties of Aerogels for Aerospace Applications

Cited by 516 publications

References 87 publications

Improving Elastic Properties of Polymer-Reinforced Aerogels

Improving Elastic Properties of Polymer-Reinforced Aerogels

Flexible and Transparent Silica Aerogels: An Overview

Silica Aerogels: A Multifunctional Building Material

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